The Impact of the STEPS Program: A Qualitative Study

Brief summary

Reproduced verbatim from the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Not medical advice.

The STEPS program is a wellness program where senior citizens are partnered with Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students, who design individualized fitness plans for each senior participant. In both the Spring and Fall semesters, first- and second year DPT student teams provide guided interventions based upon the fitness goals and initial examination findings of each participant. Program sessions are held once a week for one hour at a local senior wellness center located in Utica, NY. Facility membership requirements include a small annual membership fee and stipulate that members must be 55 years of age or older. The STEPS participants are recruited primarily by word of mouth. The aim of the STEPS program is to provide an accessible fitness service to improve the health of the Utica community while also supplementing the clinical experiences of students enrolled in the DPT program at Utica College. The program gives students an opportunity to practice clinical skills and reasoning on a weekly basis, and establishes a mentorship component between students. Second-year students are enrolled in a clinical education course for both the Fall (DPT 689) and Spring semesters (DPT 699). Examination and interventions are documented on the WebPT electronic medical record system. Participant reassessments are conducted twice, halfway through the semester and again at the end of the program. PURPOSE OF STUDY Clinics and health programs facilitated by students allow clinical experiences to be interwoven throughout the curriculum and provide students with the opportunity to learn and serve in their community. Research regarding these programs has primarily centered around pro-bono clinics run by medical students, and has been limited to the impact these programs have upon learning. No research has been conducted regarding how a local senior wellness program, such as the STEPS program, impacts senior fitness and DPT student engagement. This study will assess the effect that the STEPS program has upon the health of local seniors, while also qualitatively investigating the impact that the program has had upon the lives of local seniors and students. In order to answer these research questions, a retrospective chart review will be conducted to evaluate the functional outcomes of participating seniors. Additionally, qualitative focus groups will be convened to reflect upon the impact that the STEPS program has had upon the seniors and students.

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Last update posted Nov 20, 2022 · Synced Sep 13, 2026

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